Marco Island is a coastal community covering about 17 square miles on the island of the same name. San Marco was the original Spanish name of the island. The town began during the 1920s and was developed with much fanfare by the Mackle brothers during the 1970s.
There was even a Marco Island Airways that operated for a few years, bringing prospective buyers to visit the development. The airline flew many homebuyers in from Miami using a few Douglas DC-3 and Martin 404 airliners.
The development was aimed primarily to wealthy retirees looking for their place in the sun. It is a few miles south of Naples, which offers plenty of shopping centers and golf courses. Both interstate highway I-75 and US highway 41 are nearby, and so is the boundary of the Everglades National Park.
Collier Boulevard, which is state road 951, connects Marco Island with the Florida mainland.
CAT, or Collier Area Transit, operates a circulator service around Marco Island that runs a few times a day. Greyhound Bus Lines stops in Naples. There is no airline service at Marco Island Airport, a private plane facility just north of the island. ExecAir operates a single engine plane four times a week between Naples and Miami, carrying three passengers. The Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers is served by all major airlines.
With so much water, this is a great place for fishing and boating enthusiasts. Fishing charter boats are available at Rose Marco River Marina. Also based here is the Marco Island Princess, a 90-footer offering dinner cruises and sunset cruises around the island.
Tigertail Public Beach has a bath house and snack bar, and is separated by a tidal bay from Sand Dollar Island, a protected nesting area for many birds. Hideaway Beach is another popular recreation area.
The Island Country Club is in the middle of town, and there are many homes and condominium along the shoreline with boat docks behind the property. The Surf Club and the Olde Marco Island Inn and Suites are among accommodations at Marco Island. Marco Polo Restaurant, Cafe de Marco, and Red Rooster are among local restaurants that are highly recommended.